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The best way? Use a converter to determine which Pantone colors most closely match your RGB/CMYK values, and then use a physical Pantone swatch book to determine which of them actually match your goal most accurately.
Some RGB values have no very close Pantone match, which is why online converters will have you select a "distance" to scan various Pantone colors similar to the RGB you picked. But different types of Pantone printing look different IRL - Pantone Solid Coating is the most common Pantone color book. Ai and Ps can't reproduce the real differences faithfully, by the nature of the RGB screen you're using.
There is no direct 1-1 conversion because the colors are literally produced in a different way (subtractive vs additive color), going between different data sets. If you try to print with a Pantone color choice you determined purely using a digital monitor, you may end up with a very different print color than you expect. You'll get a sense of this by using Illustrator to convert a bunch of RGB colors to their default closest match in Pantone, and the colors can get wonky real fast.
The fast way: use online converters or built-in converter in AI, but manually comb through each close match and make sure to get as close as possible for each color, given your options. Make sure to use a calibrated monitor. And then cross your fingers and hope it works out 🤞
Solid answer. +1
Get a Pantone book and pick the colors you want to use. That’s how it is supposed to work. Nothing on screen is a Pantone color, only similar placeholders. Even calibrated monitors aren’t gonna match any Pantone swatches.
Work *from* a Pantone colour, not towards it. The print/web output will be closer to what you want. My approach when working with a client in brand was:
Pantone -> CMYK -> RGB.
Also, Pantone books are the best initial source but even then, depending on the material your printing on, you'll find colours will differ slightly.
Coach
Been doing this a long time. You need a physical printed proof. Period.
Coach
Another thing to think about: you can have the world’s best monitor, calibrated in a dark room with matte gray walls, but it’s all moot because the client is looking at a PDF on their 5-year-old Dell laptop.
I can relate to that 1000 times over. 🤦
Values outside the traditional color spectrum and aided by monitor brightness will never have a direct match. In some cases a special ink can be mixed but 1-1 matching will never be exact digital to print.
Additionally you can have special mixes made by printers and request “draw downs” on your paper
of choice to assess the match. This is critical as not only the uv light but the tooth, finish and color
of your paper will impact the match.
Pantone connect plug in for Adobe is a pretty decent tool.
Choose Pantone colors before you convert to CMYK or RGB. You’re doing it completely backwards.